Congealing CW
by digby
I keep hearing that this Deficit Commission draft is just a opening salvo and that nobody really takes the proposals literally. But if you watch cable news you wouldn’t know that:
Contessa Brewer: You have proposals here, in the case of social security, the whole point is gradually to raise the age of social security benefits, but people hear “touching social security,” that’s off limits, that’s a sacred cow and at some point something’s got to give.Do you think there’s political will to make this happen on Capitol Hill?
Democratic Senator Mark Udall: I think there has to be the political will. Otherwise, all that we hold dear whether it’s support of our military or social security or all the other ways in which the government makes out lives better will all be hollowed out. The point about social security, if you really look at the proposal, is that it strengthens social security, separates it from the General Fund and the activities of the Federal Government in the sense that it supports those in the lower income level, those who’ve been widowed, those who’ve been injured on the job. If you look carefully at this initial proposal it supports, it enhances and strengthens social security for the long run. That’s certainly my goal.
In case you didn’t notice, Udall’s a Democrat. And apparently this Democrat believes that anyone who makes more that 35k a year is at a “higher income level” — at least for social security purposes. For income tax purposes, people who make a quarter of a million dollars a year are living in grinding poverty and can’t afford to kick in even a few hundred more dollars to fix the deficit.
But I think what’s significant, aside from the congealing conventional wisdom on this, is the talking point — “it’s strengthening social security.” I don’t know if he came up with it himself or if this is an official line. But it sure rolled smoothly off his tongue.
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